Ryan McBride/Staff photographer
Voters in Lee supporting and opposing Article 3 — establishing a race school at Lee Raceway — were on hand at the Safety Complex in Lee Tuesday afternoon. Voters rejected the school.

LEE — A mere 15 votes ended the proposed race car driving school at Lee Speedway Tuesday following a day of voting, opposing views and a lengthy debate during the town’s deliberative session.

Four-hundred and fifty-six votes for the school trailed the 471 votes cast in opposition to the it. The school would have been an extension of business at Lee Speedway that owner John MacDonald had said during deliberative session would help to create revenue at the track where taxes and expenses were becoming a burden.

During the day while voters were hitting the polls at a steady pace, General Manager Robert Watson stood with a sign promoting the school while concerned resident Andy Lelio asked people to vote no.

“I think it’s going good,” said Watson, who had been out at the Safety Complex since 7 a.m.

Lelio said that while he thought the driving school was a good idea and has even participated in a couple himself, he felt the proposal presented in Article 3 was deeply flawed.

He said additional race events and the resulting increased noise levels from the track was something residents had worked hard to avoid, though the speedway was established in 1968 long before many current voters took up residence in the town.

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Ryan McBride/Staff photographer
A man goes toward the voting area at the Lee Safety Complex Tuesday as town voting went on.

Article 3 petitioned voters to amend the ordinance so as to allow for the school without considering the driving school sessions an “event.” Currently, Lee Speedway is allowed 23 events between April and October. The driving school would allow 28 sessions no more than four times per month between those same months and allow no more than four NASCAR-like stock vehicles on the track between the hours of 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.

During deliberative session, the racing school article prompted the most discussion from voters concerned over the noise level such a facility would create.

Lelio said at the polls the school would allow noise from the track to be as loud as a regular race event, despite assurances from those involved with the speedway that it would not.

“I have absolutely every right to believe they could be [as loud],” he said.

Watson pointed out that the noise level would be lower not only due to fewer cars on the track than at a regular racing event, but also because instructors and drivers would need to communicate via radio while motors were on.

Scheduling the school events in advance was also a concern, though Watson said of the 28 that would have been allowed, he felt it far-fetched that even half a dozen or so would have been scheduled. Still, he said, that outcome would have been great.

He noted the cars used at the school would have been vehicles that a paraplegic could have used and there were about half a dozen veterans who were interested in driving.

Both Watson and Lelio maintained a civil, somewhat comical, and no doubt friendly debate outside the Safety Complex as voters continued to enter the polls.

Inside, moderator Jan Neill said things were going smoothly throughout the day. A slow but steady stream of residents made their way into the polling area to collect their ballots and cast their votes.

Around noon, nearly every partition was occupied by someone filling out a ballot.

Neill said at least one resident had stated simply that getting out to the polls and voting was her duty as a resident.

“It’s really, really terrific,” Neill said of the day.

Resident Sally Barney said Article 3 was a priority for her in voting on Tuesday and was supporting the “quiet in Lee” school of thought due to the location of her home. She said any addition of noise to the speedway would have caused a great disturbance to her quality of life there.

“I was eager to come and vote and express my opinion,” she said.

In the three-way race for an open selectmen’s seat, Carole Dennis came away the leader with 505 votes by Tuesday evening, ahead of Scott Bugbee with 267, and former Oyster River Cooperative School Board Chairman Henry Brackett with 110.

This was the first year in many that there were multiple candidates vying for an open selectmen’s seat.

Residents also voted 510 to 385 in favor of the Police Department getting a new police cruiser. Article 7 asked voters to raise and appropriate, is $27,964 for the car with the price including the changeover of radios and safety equipment.

A natural grass playing field will also be established at Little River Park for the $80,000 by a vote of 528 to 364. The park is intended for general recreation.